Girls Night Out

      Dorothy, my best wine buddy, invited me to a Wine Tasting  at Darlene's Tea Room in Lake Havasu City this weekend.    These popular events are held on the first Friday of each month.   All of the tables were filled so it was a good thing we had reservations.
       Darlene's is decorated in a quaint Victorian style with lace curtains, English china tea cups, and all things feminine.   Next door is The Gin Mill, a fun bar with live music and room for dancing.  The wine tasting is held on both sides.   We chose to sit  on the tea room side so we could talk, but we were close enough to the bar that we could hear the music.    An excellent table!   
       The wine tasting included 4 wines and appetizers to complement each wine.  The first three wines were from Chateau Ste Michelle, and the last one was a red blend from Amitage.  The blend was 63% merlot, 33% syrah, and 4% Cabernet Franc. I'm very fond of merlot so it's not surprising that this was my overall favorite.    Amitage is from Columbia Crest, one of my favorite wineries.  
        We started with the two whites.  The first, my favorite of the white wines, was a 2011 Riesling.   The second was a 2010 Chardonnay.   
     

        The appetizers were wonderful.  An apple and cheddar spread on multigrain artisan bread was paired with the Riesling.    The mini veggie and cheese frittatas on the bottom left were paired with the Chardonnay.   
         The two reds were a Cabernet Savignon and the Amitage.   For the Cab, the appetizer was sliced beef with melted bleu cheese on a slice of baguette bread.     In the center is chocolate mousse, topped with blackberry cream and a huge, juicy blackberry.   It was perfect with the Amitage.  
         A great friend and great wine--the perfect pairing for a fun night out.